TEAM

Elle Derkitt

Co-Founder, Choreographer, Performer

From Regina, Saskatchewan, Elle began her early professional training at the Alberta Ballet School in Calgary, Alberta. In 2020, she continued her studies at Arts Umbrella in Vancouver under the direction of Artemis Gordon. Since then, Elle has been fortunate to work with incredible artists such as Yvan Dubreuil, Marissa Wong, Crystal Pite, Fernando Hernando Magadan, and Ethan Colangelo, among others.

Based as a freelancer in Vancouver, BC, Elle has recently been a part of Dance//Novella’s Emerging Artist Program and learned to dance tango for Vancouver Chamber Choir. In 2022, Elle was a part of the Young Choreographer Mentorship Showcase led by Crystal Pite. This experience prompted her desire to choreograph and led to the establishment of the collective, Paper Rabbits, in 2023 alongside Nathan Coburn and Sophia Makarenko.

Elle was a part of Belle Spirale’s Dance Deck in 2024 as a dancer with Opera Unbound for their original composition, Floating Island. She is excited to return this year with Sophia and Nathan as Paper Rabbits and showcase a reworked and site-specific excerpt of their first dance-theatre production.

Sophia Makarenko

Co-Founder, Choreographer, Performer

Sophia Makarenko grew up on Bowen Island and is a dance artist, teacher and choreographer currently based in Vancouver, Canada. Since graduating from Arts Umbrella’s Post-Secondary Program, she has been freelancing and performing with companies such as Ballet BC, Blackout Art Society, Belle Spirale Dance Projects and Crossmanuever.

Sophia had the pleasure of co-creating a piece with Nathan Coburn for the Young Choreographer Mentorship showcase led by Crystal Pite in 2022. As a teacher she is on faculty with both Arts Umbrella and Crossmanuever and loves sharing dance with students of all ages throughout the city. She is also a resident choreographer/performer with Petrichor North Records and has done many local and international video projects in collaboration with Canadian musicians.

She co-founded the dance collective, Paper Rabbits, with Elle Derkitt and Nathan Coburn in early 2024. As a team they performed their work during the summer of 2024 and have been a part of the New Works Mentorship Cohort in 2025. She is excited to bring an excerpt of their work to Belle Spirale’s Dance Deck this year.

Nathan Coburn

Co-Founder, Choreographer, Performer

Born and based in Vancouver, Nathan Coburn is a freelance dancer and artist. He is a graduate of the Arts Umbrella Graduate Program under the mentorship of Artemis Gordon, and a former dancer with the Ballet BC Annex under the direction of Medhi Walerski.

Nathan has been privileged to work with phenomenal dance artists such as Doug Letheren, Crystal Pite, Fernando Hernando Magadan, and Ethan Colangelo, among many others. As a freelancer, Nathan has worked with Belle Spirale Dance Projects, Jera Wolfe, Jacob Williams, Crossmaneuver, and Okanagan Ballet Theatre.

Nathan co-created his first piece with Sophia Makarenko for the Young Choreographer Mentorship showcase led by Crystal Pite in 2022. He is a co-founder of Paper Rabbits alongside Elle Derkitt and Sophia Makarenko. Last year, Nathan volunteered to serve drinks at Belle Spirale's Dance Deck. This year he is thrilled to be returning as a performer and co-creator of PROM NITE (EPILOGUE).

David Penny

Cinematographer

Bio and Photo Coming Soon...

Will Jessup

2025 Guest Artist

Bio and Photo Coming Soon...

James-Amzin Nahirnick

2025 Guest Artist

Bio and Photo Coming Soon...

© 2025 Paper Rabbits